The number of people being prosecuted for knife crime is at the highest level since 2010 as Scotland Yard battles an epidemic of street violence, official figures revealed today.
More than 22,000 offences of possessing or making threats with blades resulted in a conviction or caution in 2018/19, with one in five of the culprits aged between 10 and 17, the Ministry of Justice said.
More defendants convicted of such offences were given immediate jail sentences, up to 37 per cent from 22 per cent the previous year.
The average length of jail sentences in 2018/19 increased from 5.5 months to 8.1 months, the longest since 2009.
About three quarters of criminals were first-time offenders, with government sources saying this is evidence that the “two strikes” rule is working.
The UK figures show that in the year ending March 2019 there were 22,041 knife and offensive weapon offences dealt with by the courts — the majority for knife possession.
This is a 34 per cent rise on the total in the year ending March 2015 — when there were 16,438 such offences dealt with by the courts. It is the highest since the year ending March 2010 when there were 23,667 offences.
The figures come as Scotland Yard battles an epidemic of knife violence in London, much of it driven by gang disputes. The number of offenders dealt with for their first knife and offensive weapons offence increased by 24 per cent last year to 14,183 — the fifth rise in five years.
Senior officers say work by specialist officers on the Violent Crime Taskforce has seen killings in the capital drop by 30 per cent and knife injuries among the under-25s fall by 20 per cent.
The Met increased the use of stop and search powers in violence hotspots by more than 400 per cent last year, targeting known offenders.
Justice minister Robert Buckland said: “This government is committed to doing everything in its power to stop knife crime and its devastating consequences on lives and communities.
“These figures show that if you are caught carrying a knife you are more likely to be sent to prison — and for longer — than at any time in the last decade… the Offensive Weapons Act will make it harder for young people to buy knives and help the police target those at risk of being drawn into violence.”
